Stroke risk in white people nearly doubles if they do not get an adequate amount of vitamin D, according to a recent study. Meanwhile, black people do not have the same stroke risk associated with vitamin D deficiencies.
The study, which was commissioned by researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, looked at data from nearly 8,000 black and white adults and found that white people with low vitamin D levels had a doubled risk of stroke.
Blacks had no relationship between vitamin D deficiencies and increased risk in stroke even though they have a 60 percent higher risk than white people, the study noted.
“We thought maybe the lower vitamin D levels might actually explain why blacks have higher risks for stroke,” said Dr. Erin Michos the study’s lead researcher and an assistant professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. “But we did not find the same relationship between vitamin D and stroke in blacks.”
In the group, 6.6 percent of whites and 32.3 percent of blacks had low levels of vitamin D in their blood.
Vitamin D sources include more exposure to ultraviolet B rays in sunlight. Other sources include eating fatty fish, egg yolks and foods such as milk products and breakfast cereals, the paper noted.
The study said that blacks may have a resistance to low vitamin D levels.
“Since stroke is the No. 3 cause of death in the United States, it’s important for us to consider low vitamin D as a possible risk factor for stroke at least among whites,” Michos stated, adding that clinical trials are needed to make a better determination.
The study, which was commissioned by researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, looked at data from nearly 8,000 black and white adults and found that white people with low vitamin D levels had a doubled risk of stroke.
Blacks had no relationship between vitamin D deficiencies and increased risk in stroke even though they have a 60 percent higher risk than white people, the study noted.
“We thought maybe the lower vitamin D levels might actually explain why blacks have higher risks for stroke,” said Dr. Erin Michos the study’s lead researcher and an assistant professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. “But we did not find the same relationship between vitamin D and stroke in blacks.”
In the group, 6.6 percent of whites and 32.3 percent of blacks had low levels of vitamin D in their blood.
Vitamin D sources include more exposure to ultraviolet B rays in sunlight. Other sources include eating fatty fish, egg yolks and foods such as milk products and breakfast cereals, the paper noted.
The study said that blacks may have a resistance to low vitamin D levels.
“Since stroke is the No. 3 cause of death in the United States, it’s important for us to consider low vitamin D as a possible risk factor for stroke at least among whites,” Michos stated, adding that clinical trials are needed to make a better determination.
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